Damascus - On Thursday, a devastating attack occurred at a military academy in Syria, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 100 lives, as reported by a war monitoring group and an official. The assault involved weaponized drones striking the academy shortly after Syria's defense minister departed from a graduation ceremony, marking one of the deadliest attacks on a Syrian military facility. This event also marked an unprecedented use of weaponized drones in a nation that has endured twelve years of civil conflict.

Both civilians and military personnel fell victim to this assault in the central province of Homs, as confirmed by Syria's defense ministry. The ministry attributed the attack to "terrorist" groups employing drones, although no specific organization was mentioned, and no group claimed immediate responsibility.

In response to this horrifying incident, Syria's defense and foreign ministries issued statements pledging a robust retaliation. Concurrently, Syrian government forces carried out intense bombing campaigns on the opposition-controlled area of Idlib throughout the day.

It is worth noting that Syria's defense minister had been present at the graduation ceremony but left just moments before the attack, as disclosed by a Syrian security source and a source within the regional alliance supporting the Damascus government against opposition factions.

A witness to the tragedy, a Syrian individual who had assisted in decorating the academy for the ceremony, recounted the chaos that ensued: "After the ceremony, people went down to the courtyard, and the explosives hit. We don't know where it came from, and corpses littered the ground."

Disturbing footage shared via WhatsApp with Reuters depicted individuals, some in military attire and others in civilian clothing, lying in pools of blood within a spacious courtyard. Some of the bodies were still smoldering, while others remained engulfed in flames. Amidst the cries of agony, someone could be heard urgently shouting for assistance to extinguish the flames, while the sound of gunfire echoed in the background.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the casualty count exceeded 100, with 125 individuals sustaining injuries. Meanwhile, the source within the alliance backing Syria's government estimated the toll to be around 100.

This tragic incident is a stark reminder of the ongoing violence in Syria, which began as anti-government protests in 2011 but escalated into a full-fledged conflict, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions. The Syrian military has been significantly weakened by the prolonged conflict, relying heavily on military assistance from Russia, Iran, and Tehran-backed militias from various nations, including Lebanon and Iraq.

While President Bashar al-Assad has regained control over most of the country, a significant portion along the northern border with Turkey remains in the hands of armed opposition groups, including radical jihadist fighters.